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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - NMC - Starter puzzle...

Hey gents. Its been a while since ive been on here, having sold my project 6 months ago.

But the expertise and help on this forum has drawn me back once again.

Sadly its not a midget, but a '98 Renault Laguna 2.0 RT.

I drove it home from work fine last night, nothing out of the ordinary. No noises etc etc.

Went out to move the car to allow the missus out, about an hour after getting home and it wouldnt start, it doesnt even try!

I turn the key and all the electrics come on fine, i can hear the fuel pump prime and there are not warning lights. The clock and digital oil guage come on and do their things, engine passes ecu checks.

Further turn to ignition does nothing. I can hear the relay click, then the "000000 OIL" display goes out followed by the clock, as soon as i release the key, they come back on.

I would have thought it would be something within the starter electrical systems, but other than that i need help!

My thoughts are one or more of:
Fuse
Relay
Wiring (earth or loose connection)
Starter motor

Any help is appreaciated.
Rob McGeown

Is your Renault one of those which yopu need to press the Brake or Clutch before the car will start.
One of ours had the problem where the wire which recognised the pressing of the pedals had stretched and snapped. it was an easy solution but the car wouldn't start until it was sorted.
It's to stop idiots unused to manual cars from driving through their garage walls.
Gary Lazarus

No, its not one like that. I have started it many times whilst not sitting in the car.
Rob McGeown

Oh and its a manual.
Rob McGeown

Hi Rob,

Good to hear from you again!

If you can hear the solenoid click then it would sound like a starter problem - or at least a problem "downstream " of the solenoid.

I think that most moderns now actually have a two stage relay system. There is a small relay that is activated by the ignition switch. This then sends power to the much beefier relay (solenoid) attached to the starter motor itself.

If you hear a soft click it is probably from the first stage relay in the relay box - under steering column or under bonnet maybe, alongside the fuses? The solenoid on the motor would make a heftier click noise.

I think that your dash lights dimming is because your starter circuit is taking all the power, maybe because of a faulty starter motor.

Are you sure it isn't something as simple as a flat or nearly flat battery?

Guy
Guy Weller

Rob if I understand your problem correctly then I am with Guy.

If when you turn on the ignition everything lights up correctly
then when you turn the key to start and all you hear is a click and everything goes dim,

Then it is either a not very good battery
A poor earth connection (battery connection)
Or the starter motor is siezed up.
Bob Turbo Midget England

Thank you all!

It sounded more like a soft click so i would say the relay, meaning the solenoid isnt coming in to play.

I popped home in my lunch hour and had to take all the inake bits an peices off to reach the solenoid. Turns out it was a loose connection on the spade connector.

I would hate to have to change the start on this car, its right at the rear undernead the exhaust manifold. PITA.

Thanks for your responses.
Rob McGeown

Rob

squeeze the Lucar connector slightly with pliers if you can reach

It's quite a common fault on starter solenoids, they have a very hard life, for a second or two everytime you start the car

High current flow gets the connection warm (even hot-tish) and then sits at the back of a warming up engine in a hot surrounding atmosphere. That lets the copper/brass Lucar lose some of its inherent "springiness" A sideways squeeze with the pliers imparts the shape again to do the job for a while longer.

Similar faults happen on alternator connections too, which is why many manufacturers stopped using "push-on" terminals and now use a nut on a thread type fixing

Bad news next, if the thing has loosened off once it can happen again. Tha AA supplies its patrols with a kit of auto electrical terminals to allow replacement for members whose cars have developed such problems

if it happens twice I advise replacing the fitment, even though they are a bu**er to reach
bill sdgpm

Thanks bill,

I have some more work to do on her soon anyway, so ill see about replacing the connector.

I need to replace the heater matrix, its completely blocked. Bad news is it has aircon, so rather than a dash and aircon out job, im going to make a cutout on the aircon airbox to allow the heater matrix out, then glue to box back on!

Simple.
Rob McGeown

This thread was discussed on 05/02/2010

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.